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Product Liability Law & StrategyFeaturesLitigationLJN NewslettersProducts Liability

Defamation and the Disgruntled Defendant

By Janice G. Inman
May 02, 2017

Product liability law practice can get prickly, and why not? The stakes are high. Consumer injuries (or the potential threat of them) and the bad press that may follow can lead to lost business and even bankruptcy, and individuals' careers and reputations can be ruined. Therefore, it is no wonder that those who find themselves on the receiving end of a product liability lawsuit and its attendant bad publicity sometimes fight back. So it was in a recent case, in which a company, publicly accused by a plaintiff's lawyers of using non–FDA-approved medical devices, fought back by bringing a defamation suit against the opposing attorneys. The case was thrown out by a California court, and the plaintiff appealed. The decision in the appeal, Healthsmart Pacific Inc. v. (Brian S.) Kabateck, 17 C.D.O.C 244 (C.A. 2d 12/19/16) (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. Case No. B264300), offers some insights into what kinds of allegations may be publicized, and in what circumstances, when a product liability charge is brought.

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